A Queensland caravan park with a history of flooding is one of 32 business that will benefit from a $5 million Building Resilient Tourism Infrastructure Fund.
Jointly funded by the Federal and State Governments, the fund is designed to help tourism operators to build back better from extreme weather events in 2021 and 2022.
Some of the money will now help the Esk Caravan Park, located in the Brisbane Valley between Lakes Wivenhoe and Somerset an hour northwest of Brisbane, protect itself from future extreme weather events.
Embankment works will now be carried out at the park, which is vulnerable to floods.
Grants will help in flood mitigation works, PIC: Pexels
The worst incident was probably back in January, 2011, when trees were ripped up and vehicles swept up as Esk itself flooded. Several people had to be hurriedly evacuated as the floodwaters rushed through the van park.
Queensland Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said the Building Resilient Tourism Infrastructure Fund would help to fast-track longer-term tourism resilience and recovery.
“Tourism operators in Queensland know it’s not a matter of if extreme weather events occur, but when,” Mr Hinchliffe said. “These are projects nominated by tourism operators themselves to be better prepared for extreme weather, reduce damage, and get businesses back online sooner … by helping these tourism businesses become more resilient we can lessen inconvenience to holidaymakers and the destructiveness of natural disasters on visitor economies.”
Resilience funding from $20,000 to $150,000 was open to tourism businesses in 37 declared local government areas for eligible projects able to start within three months of funding approval and be completed by June 30, 2024.
Supported projects to develop a more sustainable tourism industry included flood resilience and erosion protection, embankment stabilisation, greater use of solar power and battery storage and a new bridge and improved accessible pathways.
The full list of funded projects is at, Building Resilient Tourism Infrastructure Fund.
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What is the benefit of flood proofing the caravan park when all the roads in are under water or gone.. It seems to be a bad place to put yourself in.. Or maybe it will keep the cabins from getting wet.. Old rule was . Never camp on a river bank. even a dry one..